At this hour, it looks like Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran is heading to the Giants in a trade, but not before he blocked a deal to the Pirates with his no-trade clause according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Outfielder Carlos Beltran refused to waive his no-trade clause to come to the Pirates, according to a team source, when the Pirates were among several teams pursuing him from the New York Mets.
The Mets are close to a deal to send Beltran to the San Francisco Giants.
The Pirates made an aggressive push to get Beltran, who might have been their top trade target, even though Beltran would have cost $6.5 million the rest of the season. The Pirates and Cleveland Indians both were willing to pick up all of that money. In the deal with the Giants, the Mets will be picking up $4 million of that cost.
Beltran's lack of respect for the Pirates is well documented. After the Pirates swept the Mets in 2009, the 34-year old dealt a major dis to the Bucs.
"We have to find a way to play better, there's no doubt. Overall. I'm not pointing fingers at anybody. Offense, defense, pitching -- we have to find a way to play better. The reality of this is, coming here to Pittsburgh and being swept -- personally, I feel embarrassed"
It's little surprise that Beltran, who's said he wants to win wherever he goes, would block a deal to a team he thinks so little of. That doesn't change the fact that it's a flagrant slap in the Pirates' face, and certainly bulletin board material that you can bet the Pirates hope will come back to haunt him if the Bucs and Giants meet in the postseason.